Well here we are on July 4th, 2010. I have not really followed up too closely with the homeopothy. It's not that I think it does nothing, it's just that we are doing the Seizure Med's right now, and I don't want to do both.
So we started Lamictal about 4 weeks ago. We had to start very, very slow because of the possibility of a deadly rash. We started at 1/2 tab every morning and every night, and then 1/2 tab at night. Now we are up to 1 1/2 tabs in the Am, and 1 at night. We go up a 1/2 a tab a week. The lowest therapeutic does will be 4 tabs, (100mg) twice a day. So, that is why I have not written much. But........ it's very possible it's helping.
This update is not just about the Seizure meds, just and update in general. I am just going to list all of the new and great things he is doing latley.
Before we started the meds, we realized he was really starting to have a great sense of humor. He would draw things and laugh at them, do little things he thought were funny over and over. That was really cool to see, because they say once someone can make a joke in a language, they are really starting to get a grasp on it.
He is drawing, a lot. Real representative drawings. And writing too. He consistently writes his name, and has written Mom, and Elijah and Micah, (attempts at spelling). He is really starting to be interested in language, words, letters and how things are spelled. He loves to do a search on the computer, for spongebob or Wall E toys. We just tell him which letters to type in and he searches and finds them. He loves that. And of course, he loves looking at the toys.
He is talking...... a lot!! And it's clearer. He can communicate most things he wants to. There is still plenty we don't understand, but it's getting better and better. We still can't really have a conversation with him about his day, but I know we will be able to someday. He is beginning to answer abstract questions like, who did you play with today? Or what did you get for Christmas? Open ended questions. The other day as we were walking from school, I asked him, who is your best friend, (I was meaning at school, but he took it literally). He said, Elijah, Elijah is my best friend, and Micah too. I just loved to hear that, because it's true, Elijah is his very best friend. Yesterday he would not get in the pool without Elijah, and he walked around looking for him, saying, "Elijah, Elijah, where are you? Come in the pool with me"
He communicates his basic needs very well...... for example, he often say's, "I want some water, I need some water", or, "Go to the bathroom", or "Go to school, Mrs. Whatford". It's not perfect sentence structure, but who cares. He's talking. And he's working on Sentence structure with Alicia.
His constipation is much better, although not solved by any means. We think that Melatonin and dairy was making it bad. We took him off dairy, and then realized since he was not taking naps anymore he really did not need the melatonin, so we took him off that, it was much, much better. Then he went back on Melatonin for some reason, and it got bad again. So we saw the correlation, and we took him off it again, and it's been better. No one anywhere has associated melatonin with constipation, but there you go, goes to show that every kid is different and they respond to differing things differently. We still have him off dairy, and do notice the constipation get's bad when we weaken and give him some dairy. He's still pooping in diapers, although he did have 1 succussful bowel movement in the potty at school, he has not done it since, even with some very exciting rewards if he did. We are calling in a behavior specialist to help us with this. He is totally able, he just won't, it's crazy. He'll ask for a diaper, so we know he knows when he needs to go, just won't push it out on the potty. And if we don't give him a diaper, he'll go in his pants. Ahhhh....... in August we'll be getting help with this. Yay for North Bay Regional Center and the work they do.
He is calmer over all. He will sit for longer periods of time, and even though he still likes to run and escape, he's less likley to try, and well, he's just all around better, older and more mature. He has even lost some weight over the summer. The combination of not sitting in a desk most of the day, and eating less at home then he did at school, is what did it I think, I am worried he'll gain it all back when the school year starts, gonna have to only give him carrots for snacks.
Well, I think that's all for now. The only possible negative side effect I have seen is a little bit of increased, and typical TIC like behavior, throat verbal tics and eye blinking, but not much, just more. Oh, and we MAY have gotten rid of his thumb sucking habit. (this makes me kinda sad, but I know necessary). I found this thumb polish on line, called MAVALA, it's from Sweeden I think. I put it on his thumb Monday, Tues, and Wed, and the only time he accidentally started sucking his thumb, he asked to drink a whole glass of water. Zero thumb sucking at school and lots of talking. The teacher is so happy, she is the one who really wanted to see him stop. I know he's too old to suck his thumb, but if it comforts any pain his body might be in, I say go for it. I left it off for a few days to see if he would suck it at home. Nope. He has NOT sucked his thumb all weekend. Not even at 10pm at night at the Fireworks last night. Wild. I can't believe such a major part of his life could be over in 3 short days of intervention.
Well, I hear toys crashing to the floor upstairs so that must mean he's pooping. His room is a mess. He's really into tearing paper into tiny, tiny bits and strewing it around his room lately. Wild. Anyway, definitely some good, not sure if it's from the little bit of homeopothy, or the Seizure meds or what, but good is good, and I'll take it. I will update more as things change.
Now off to get ready for Church on this beautiful Fourth of July morning.
Love,
Willow
